Guarantee this: Lions always disappoint
BY BOB WOJNOWSKI
CHICAGO -- Well, that didn't take long to kill a few early myths.
With the Lions, it never does.
All that discipline inspired by new coach Rod Marinelli? Buried in
a stinkin' pile of yellow penalty flags.
That dynamic defense we thought we saw in the opener? Carved to
tatters by Rex Grossman and the Bears.
That prognosticating ability of Roy Williams? Today it's a punch
line, all of it, from the pathetic to the insipid to the absurd. We should
know by now the only guarantee with the Lions is, just when you think
they might not be terrible, they're right back to terrible.
If the Lions' 34-7 loss to Chicago Sunday did anything, it reminded
us there are no magic systems, no instant-credibility formulas. You can't
just add tough-talking coaches to a losing environment, shake, simmer
and serve hot.
The Lions remain way short on talent, which at least partly
explains why they attempted to hold, or false start, or commit petty
larceny, on every play. OK, I exaggerate. Every other play.
They can crank it up in their home stadium against a touted
opponent, but put them on the road against a solid team, against an
efficient quarterback, against a defense fired up by Williams' silly,
overblown guarantee, and the Lions revert to what they know. If this
looked familiar, that's only because it was.
Last year, the Lions opened with a tough-hitting 17-3 pasting of
Green Bay, then came to Chicago and dropped a 38-6 mess. After
careful analysis of rosters and stats and spread sheets, I've decided this
is the problem: The Lions have the attention span of a 3-year-old on a
sugar buzz.
"I'm upset because it seems like the same old stuff is going down,"
cornerback Dre Bly said. "We didn't play with the same passion. We
didn't play Lions football."
Sorry, but in many ways, this was exactly the Lions football we've
come to know. This was what Marinelli and his staff were supposed to
change.
If Marinelli wasn't absolutely sure of the task he faces, he knows
now. After two games, he already has a bit of that Lions Coach Stare.
You know the look -- equal parts bewilderment, shock and disgust.
Marinelli tried to take all the blame, which was noble enough. But
it also was just talk. Besides, we know better.
"There's no learning curve -- it's on me," Marinelli said.
"Obviously, I have to do better and our staff has to do better. I believe I
have the ability to get these guys going. I failed this week."
Everyone failed. The Lions were called for 14 penalties, costing
them 104 yards. The toll was most evident in a hands-to-the-face
penalty by cornerback Jamar Fletcher, which wiped out a 27-yard
touchdown interception return by linebacker Boss Bailey.
If the play stood, the Lions would have trailed 24-14 in the third
quarter, with a legitimate comeback chance. Fletcher's penalty was
nowhere near the ball, just a stupid lapse, just one of many.
According to Williams, the Lions left 40 points on the field last
week. I'm thinking they left about 40 penalties on the field in this one.
In addition to all the other mistakes, Kevin Jones lost two fumbles
and didn't do much. On the bright side, it does appear Jon Kitna (23-for-
30 for 230 yards) can deliver the ball from one spot to the next, if he has
time. On the downside, it doesn't mean squat. For all the hype about
Mike Martz's offense, the Lions have one touchdown, on a Kitna sneak,
in two weeks.
Players say it's a work in progress. Fine. But we saw neither work
nor progress here.
"I'll stick with what I said, that we will win any game as long as we
do what we're supposed to do," said Williams, who caught six passes
for 71 yards. "This team is capable of averaging 28 points per game. It
hurts, because we're a good football team and we can't get over the
hump. It's bonehead penalties, bonehead mistakes. That was a good
defense, but they did nothing to us."
Williams' confidence is admirable. It's also blind. Blind faith has to
be rooted in something, and for these Lions, it's rooted in Martz's
offensive history, in the coaching staff, in the belief things have to get
better.
But just once, for an extended period, it'd be nice to see the Lions'
actions match their words. Williams' guarantee meant nothing.
Marinelli's firm stance hasn't produced enough, yet. There were more
injuries to the defense, more slippage to bad habits. Grossman threw
wherever he wished, whenever he wished.
We accept the Lions are a work in progress, but we sure don't
accept this garbage. Obviously, this is going to take a lot more work
than the Lions, on this nasty day, bothered to expend.
BY BOB WOJNOWSKI
CHICAGO -- Well, that didn't take long to kill a few early myths.
With the Lions, it never does.
All that discipline inspired by new coach Rod Marinelli? Buried in
a stinkin' pile of yellow penalty flags.
That dynamic defense we thought we saw in the opener? Carved to
tatters by Rex Grossman and the Bears.
That prognosticating ability of Roy Williams? Today it's a punch
line, all of it, from the pathetic to the insipid to the absurd. We should
know by now the only guarantee with the Lions is, just when you think
they might not be terrible, they're right back to terrible.
If the Lions' 34-7 loss to Chicago Sunday did anything, it reminded
us there are no magic systems, no instant-credibility formulas. You can't
just add tough-talking coaches to a losing environment, shake, simmer
and serve hot.
The Lions remain way short on talent, which at least partly
explains why they attempted to hold, or false start, or commit petty
larceny, on every play. OK, I exaggerate. Every other play.
They can crank it up in their home stadium against a touted
opponent, but put them on the road against a solid team, against an
efficient quarterback, against a defense fired up by Williams' silly,
overblown guarantee, and the Lions revert to what they know. If this
looked familiar, that's only because it was.
Last year, the Lions opened with a tough-hitting 17-3 pasting of
Green Bay, then came to Chicago and dropped a 38-6 mess. After
careful analysis of rosters and stats and spread sheets, I've decided this
is the problem: The Lions have the attention span of a 3-year-old on a
sugar buzz.
"I'm upset because it seems like the same old stuff is going down,"
cornerback Dre Bly said. "We didn't play with the same passion. We
didn't play Lions football."
Sorry, but in many ways, this was exactly the Lions football we've
come to know. This was what Marinelli and his staff were supposed to
change.
If Marinelli wasn't absolutely sure of the task he faces, he knows
now. After two games, he already has a bit of that Lions Coach Stare.
You know the look -- equal parts bewilderment, shock and disgust.
Marinelli tried to take all the blame, which was noble enough. But
it also was just talk. Besides, we know better.
"There's no learning curve -- it's on me," Marinelli said.
"Obviously, I have to do better and our staff has to do better. I believe I
have the ability to get these guys going. I failed this week."
Everyone failed. The Lions were called for 14 penalties, costing
them 104 yards. The toll was most evident in a hands-to-the-face
penalty by cornerback Jamar Fletcher, which wiped out a 27-yard
touchdown interception return by linebacker Boss Bailey.
If the play stood, the Lions would have trailed 24-14 in the third
quarter, with a legitimate comeback chance. Fletcher's penalty was
nowhere near the ball, just a stupid lapse, just one of many.
According to Williams, the Lions left 40 points on the field last
week. I'm thinking they left about 40 penalties on the field in this one.
In addition to all the other mistakes, Kevin Jones lost two fumbles
and didn't do much. On the bright side, it does appear Jon Kitna (23-for-
30 for 230 yards) can deliver the ball from one spot to the next, if he has
time. On the downside, it doesn't mean squat. For all the hype about
Mike Martz's offense, the Lions have one touchdown, on a Kitna sneak,
in two weeks.
Players say it's a work in progress. Fine. But we saw neither work
nor progress here.
"I'll stick with what I said, that we will win any game as long as we
do what we're supposed to do," said Williams, who caught six passes
for 71 yards. "This team is capable of averaging 28 points per game. It
hurts, because we're a good football team and we can't get over the
hump. It's bonehead penalties, bonehead mistakes. That was a good
defense, but they did nothing to us."
Williams' confidence is admirable. It's also blind. Blind faith has to
be rooted in something, and for these Lions, it's rooted in Martz's
offensive history, in the coaching staff, in the belief things have to get
better.
But just once, for an extended period, it'd be nice to see the Lions'
actions match their words. Williams' guarantee meant nothing.
Marinelli's firm stance hasn't produced enough, yet. There were more
injuries to the defense, more slippage to bad habits. Grossman threw
wherever he wished, whenever he wished.
We accept the Lions are a work in progress, but we sure don't
accept this garbage. Obviously, this is going to take a lot more work
than the Lions, on this nasty day, bothered to expend.
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